Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

1978 Chuck Hope left beverage job, moved to Paso Robles, became farmer, & top grape grower. Working with his father, Austin led family into winemaking in ‘95, creating his label in 2000. Grapes from 5 small blocks of Paso Robles AVAs, aged in 75% new French oak, 18 mos. Dark Ruby, aromas of sweet ripe black fruits & dried smoky spices. Flavors of ripe blackberry, sweet cacao, espresso & vanilla oak. Big wine, fine tannins that needed 45 minutes, long fruit finish. The 15% ABV, slight burn, but ok. Nice! — 5 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Monthly WTF guys blind tasting group. This month was our annual, and famed, Left Bank vs Right Bank theme. All wines served blind as usual. Started off with a Rosé and a champagne. Great night.

This was one of my favorites of the night. One of the best young Bordeaux’s I’ve tasted. Ripe and modern nose (fruit forward) with smoked meat and baked blackberry pie. The palate revealed cocoa/dark chocolate, baking spices and a hint of blue fruit wrapped by black fruit. Big. Will obviously get better, but was shocked how good this was now. I called this ‘12-14 Left Bank. — 6 years ago

with Andrew, Jack and 6 others

Dave Wood

9.0

Stalwart and stable example of 1967 with some fruit and complexity left. 1st 1967 of the night. — 8 years ago

with David

Mark Flesher

9.5

Wine of the night. This wine had EXCELLENT fruit, and showed NO VISIBLE SIGNS of decline. Great powerful blackberry. I was guessing 01 Stag's Leap or Rutherford. Turns out it was Caymus SS 01, but I was second guessing myself on the year because it was a very purple color into the decanter and showing well. The wine had great vanilla on the front, blackberry on the front, and a more youthful middle and finish with some herb. This wine has 10 years left in it no doubt. Whoever cut this one off at 2017 has no idea. This one literally showed no signs of decline whatsoever. Drink by date 2007 - 2030. — 9 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.5

Refinement and plushness reminiscent of the right bank with a quiet firmness of the lower left bank. — 9 years ago

George Chen

9.6

This 73 drank better than any of the bottles in my two cases left! French Laundry gang handled the bottle with aplomb and clean as a whistle. Pure fruit, melted tannins and solid acid backbone. The first nose was all Martha's with the distinct Eucalyptus minty nose and lengthy complexity for over 3 hours. A true classic that is outlasting the legendary 74!!! — 9 years ago

David Taylor

9.5

Just a really great milk stout. Hard to beat it, especially with the on point addition of nitro. — 10 years ago

Matthew Beckman

9.3

Lovely nose of cherry and tobacco...plenty of time left for this but approachable now. My wine of the night — 10 years ago

Philip Vondra

9.2

Solid opened up very well. Lots of life left. — 11 years ago

Byron C Mayes

9.7

Still really tight. Dark red purple. Classic cassis notes. Still plenty of time left. 2021 maybe? — 11 years ago

Brett Francis

9.1

This was quite flavorful and interesting. It had some jam, blackberry, hints of leather and smoke. It had a nice mouthfeel and a medium finish. All in all this was the standout of the night, but still young. — 5 years ago

Steven Comfort

9.1

This was the last bottle from a case I bought in about 1997. Over the 29 years since the wine was made, the noteworthy tar and tobacco notes that Pontet Canet is known for softened to an ashy-ness that is a softer version of a Mouton Rothschild. Still plenty of life left in this outstanding vintage, but the wine won't improve much (if at all) from this point. I enjoyed this bottle with Lucas Comfort, a day after his 29th birthday (1990). — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

The 1982 Chateau Léoville-Barton red wine is a stunning bottling from this famed vintage in Bordeaux. Generously shared by some friends, and needing very little time in the decanter to evolve, the 1982 Léoville-Barton opens with a captivating nose of sour red cherry, cigar box with shades of white truffle and a striking herbaceousness. There is a wonderful, seamless quality to this wine that evokes a harmonious balance on the mid-palate. A bright saline streak dashes through this incredible wine. Showing a wonderfully soft mouthfeel, the wine slowly unveils layers of sour red fruits, exotic spices, red bell pepper, anise and hints of wild blackberry that all marvelously combine with the toasty oak. While absolutely delightful now, this stunning wine will has more than a decade of life left. Drink 2019-2035- 95

— 7 years ago

David From The 504

9.2

Go to bottle of Hermitage, good price point Syrah what else to say! Plenty of time left in this. — 8 years ago

M Cromwell

9.3

2 hr decant and it needed it. This has significant life left as there is plenty of acid and tannin left. Early this showed cherries, saline and soy at 1 hr. We started drinking at 2 hrs with significant blackberry, black cherry, cedar, graphite and pencil shavings. Consumed over 90 min and raspberries began to show up near the end, but even then still some tannins and acid left. Interesting to see where this goes in 3 years. I would've put this as a 2010. Good, but has room to get even better, even at 11 yrs old. — 9 years ago

Joe Lucca

9.0

Funk on top of funk on the nose. Basement, wet leaves, forest floor, cedar water, eucalyptus, and mushroom. Not much fruit left; the palate is austere and tart with red currant, mint, tobacco, and some oak. A nice old world opener for the night. Thanks @Frank for gifting this! — 9 years ago

MH

Marketing/Public Relations, Joseph Phelps Vineyards

9.4

Lots of life left in this wine. What a treat. From 3 liter. #josephphelps biased review — 10 years ago

with Joseph

Greg Gregory

9.2

The right bank wine of the night. Still some baby fat at the outset but incredibly alive with years left. — 10 years ago

with Don

Jeff Meyers

9.4

Impressive wine. Dense rich iodine quality. In my book the tannins are resolved but it may have a few years left in it. This is the best of California akin to Diamond Creek. — 11 years ago

Andrew Lampasone

Owner Wine Watch Selections

9.2

One of our brown bag wines today. I usually get one right and I guessed 1985 left bank on this one! Delicious - thanks Gene! — 12 years ago

Shay A

9.3

Yesterday’s Wednesday Wine Committee lunch. Normal format of 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds and 1 dessert wine. All tasted blind.

I had this about 2yrs ago and my impression is consistent. Dusty and herbal. More tobacco leaf than leather notes. Dark black cherries, dark cocoa dipped cherries, cedar and truffle dusted licorice. This may be in a sleepy phase and could come out the other side full steam and youthful. Would like to try again and focus on only it. I called this early ‘00s left bank Bordeaux. — 6 years ago

with Dan, Will and 2 others

"Odedi"

9.1

A very enjoyable Left Bank Bordeaux. Showing red and black fruits with earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, wet leaves, black tea and black pepper.

This great vintage red is still young, and needs another 5 to 10 years of bottle time. Already showing nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Long finish with firm tannins and tangy raspberries.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly and show the tannins and complexity.

Wine Enthusiasts 94 points.

A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 3% Petite Verdot.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$70. — 7 years ago

Sara Stuckey

9.1

I’d never heard of “White” Pinot Noir before, but I’m sitting in a restaurant and it was on the “by the glass” list, so here we are.

This does not suck. It’s quite refreshing, actually. I’m a big fan of Sauvignon Blanc and I’d say this splits the difference between the crisp fruitiness of the Sav Blanc and the über-lightness of a Pinot Grigio.

Also, is it weird that I seem to detect a hint of blue cheese in this wine. (A good thing, I think). I don’t know the vintage of this bottle, but I could recommend it! — 7 years ago

Steve Martinelli

9.4

Coming into its own now, but has more years left on her. Lots of juicy red fruit, red flowers and some savory meaty undertones that balance out the wine. A stunning wine that will get better! — 8 years ago

Jeff Choy

9.0

Still a lot of life left despite the vintage. After decanting for an hour it is hard to find any flaw with it. — 9 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.1

1961 vintage. Medium ruby hue. Wood, earth, cedar wood - not a lot of fruit left. Some smokey notes. Mushroom. Ok the palate, medium body and acidity, medium concentration. There's tannins for sure - touch rough. Medium finish. Not my favourite of the trio of '61 Bordeaux. — 9 years ago

Cian Riordan

10

Sort of a 'mic drop' kinda wine. Incredible life left in this. Tons of fruit, not stewed like you'd think, but very bright. Peppery nose. Really a treat. — 9 years ago

Roland Boney

9.8

What a classic wine produced by one of the classiest winemaker in Napa Valley #eliasfernandez. Beautiful nose and perfectly layered followed by a long lasting finish. Still plenty of time left for this 100 point wine. — 10 years ago

with Missy

Cameron Parry

9.4

Bright, fresh, tons of life left in it. Great fruit, crisp acid, silky tannins. Yum! — 11 years ago

Charles Schneider

9.1

Showing well for the age. Texture was pure silk. Good bit of fruit still left in the old bones. Can't wait to show Jean-Louis Carbonnier. — 11 years ago